10-20-2008, 11:38 PM
October 2-5, 1670: The Second Great Loot of Surat by Marathas
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->So great was the alarm there, however, that on the 3rd
the English factors removed their treasure from the shore
to one of their ships, and next day loaded all their
broadcloth, quicksilver, currall (coral?) &c, on board
ship, "to secure them against any attempts of Shivaji."
Two other English ships, which were due to sail,
were detained at Swally till 10th October, by which
time the Marathas were expected to withdraw from
the district. The English factors with the help of the
ships' carpenters even ran up a wooden platform at
one end of the marine yard and mounted eight guns
on it, "to defend the Company's estate the best we
could."
An official inquiry ascertained that Shivaji had
carried off 66 lakhs of Rupees' worth of booty from
Surat, viz., cash, pearls, and other articles worth
53 lakhs from the city itself and 13 lakhs worth from
Nawal Sahu and Hari Sahu and a village near Surat.
(Akhbarat, 13-10.)
But the real loss of Surat was not to be estimated
by the booty which the Marathas carried off. The
trade of this, the richest port of India, was practically
destroyed several years after Shivaji's with-
drawal from it, the town used to throb with panic
every now and then, whenever any Maratha force
came within a few days' march of it, or even at false
alarms of their coming. On every such occasion the
merchants would quickly remove their goods to ships,
the citizens would flee to the villages, and the
Europeans would hasten to Swally. Business was
effectually scared away from Surat, and inland pro-
ducers hesitated to send their goods to this the greatest
emporium of Western India.
For one month after the second sack, "the town
was in so great a confusion that there was neither
governor nor Government," and almost every day
was troubled by rumours of Shiva's coming there
again. "On the 12th (i. e., only a week after his
departure) it was again rumoured that he was return-
ing with 6,000 horse and 10,000 foot, and that he had
already reached Pent, a place about 25 miles distant.
At once there was a general exodus and the town was
changed from a busy port into the death-like quiet
of a desert. The Turkish, English and French
merchants abandoned their factories."
At the end of November, and again about 10th
December, 1670, the alarm was revived ; and the
European merchants met together to concert means
of guarding their respective interests. The landward
defences of Swally were strengthened by adding a
breastwork on the north side of the choultry, and the
entrance to the harbour or "hole" was guarded by
stationing a ship there. The English used to remove
their money and goods from Surat to this place at
every such alarm.
In June 1672 the success of the Maratha forces
under Moro Pant in the Koli State of Ramnagar, on
the way to Surat, kept the city in constant terror for
a long time. The Maratha general openly demanded
chauth from Surat, threatening a visitation if the
governor refused payment. There was the same
panic again in February and October 1672, September
1673, October 1674, and December 1679. In short,
the destruction of the trade and financial prosperity
of Surat was complete. (F. R.)
(resulting in a heavy loss of revenue to Mughal chest, while increase of Shivaji's)
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
(From Jadunath Sarkar's Shivaji & His Times)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->So great was the alarm there, however, that on the 3rd
the English factors removed their treasure from the shore
to one of their ships, and next day loaded all their
broadcloth, quicksilver, currall (coral?) &c, on board
ship, "to secure them against any attempts of Shivaji."
Two other English ships, which were due to sail,
were detained at Swally till 10th October, by which
time the Marathas were expected to withdraw from
the district. The English factors with the help of the
ships' carpenters even ran up a wooden platform at
one end of the marine yard and mounted eight guns
on it, "to defend the Company's estate the best we
could."
An official inquiry ascertained that Shivaji had
carried off 66 lakhs of Rupees' worth of booty from
Surat, viz., cash, pearls, and other articles worth
53 lakhs from the city itself and 13 lakhs worth from
Nawal Sahu and Hari Sahu and a village near Surat.
(Akhbarat, 13-10.)
But the real loss of Surat was not to be estimated
by the booty which the Marathas carried off. The
trade of this, the richest port of India, was practically
destroyed several years after Shivaji's with-
drawal from it, the town used to throb with panic
every now and then, whenever any Maratha force
came within a few days' march of it, or even at false
alarms of their coming. On every such occasion the
merchants would quickly remove their goods to ships,
the citizens would flee to the villages, and the
Europeans would hasten to Swally. Business was
effectually scared away from Surat, and inland pro-
ducers hesitated to send their goods to this the greatest
emporium of Western India.
For one month after the second sack, "the town
was in so great a confusion that there was neither
governor nor Government," and almost every day
was troubled by rumours of Shiva's coming there
again. "On the 12th (i. e., only a week after his
departure) it was again rumoured that he was return-
ing with 6,000 horse and 10,000 foot, and that he had
already reached Pent, a place about 25 miles distant.
At once there was a general exodus and the town was
changed from a busy port into the death-like quiet
of a desert. The Turkish, English and French
merchants abandoned their factories."
At the end of November, and again about 10th
December, 1670, the alarm was revived ; and the
European merchants met together to concert means
of guarding their respective interests. The landward
defences of Swally were strengthened by adding a
breastwork on the north side of the choultry, and the
entrance to the harbour or "hole" was guarded by
stationing a ship there. The English used to remove
their money and goods from Surat to this place at
every such alarm.
In June 1672 the success of the Maratha forces
under Moro Pant in the Koli State of Ramnagar, on
the way to Surat, kept the city in constant terror for
a long time. The Maratha general openly demanded
chauth from Surat, threatening a visitation if the
governor refused payment. There was the same
panic again in February and October 1672, September
1673, October 1674, and December 1679. In short,
the destruction of the trade and financial prosperity
of Surat was complete. (F. R.)
(resulting in a heavy loss of revenue to Mughal chest, while increase of Shivaji's)
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
(From Jadunath Sarkar's Shivaji & His Times)